JPH0336004B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of the Invention) The present invention relates to a method for producing a skin material having decorative parts such as letters and patterns, which is used for, for example, a crash pad, armrest, headrest, door trim, etc. in a vehicle.

(Description of the Prior Art) Skin materials used for crash pads, armrests, headrests, door trims, etc. in vehicles are generally decorated with a manufacturer's name, car model name, pattern, etc. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a skin material used as a crush pad, and numeral 1 indicates decorative parts such as letters and patterns.

By the way, the conventional manufacturing method for skin materials having decorative parts such as letters and patterns is to mold a thermoplastic synthetic resin sheet such as vinyl chloride resin into a predetermined shape and then add letters and patterns by printing. Alternatively, this could be done by gluing a decorative plastic plate. As described above, conventional manufacturing methods have the problem of complicating manufacturing because letters, patterns, etc. are added in a post-process, and furthermore, when printing is used, clear letters, etc. cannot be obtained due to bleeding. Therefore, it was not suitable for complex characters, patterns, etc.

(Object of the Invention) The object of the present invention is to be able to simultaneously add decorations such as letters and patterns without using post-processing;
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a skin material that can be provided with complex characters, patterns, etc.

(Structure of the Invention) The gist of the present invention is that after a mold having a cavity is heated to a predetermined temperature, a decorative body expressing characters, patterns, etc. is set on the cavity surface, and then thermoplastic synthetic resin powder is is put into the cavity and further heated to melt the powder and form a thermoplastic synthetic resin layer on the cavity surface and fuse it with the decorative body.After cooling, the skin material in which the decorative body is embedded is melted. It's about breaking out of the mold.

The manufacturing process of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to FIG. 2.

(A) Step of heating a mold having a cavity to a predetermined temperature (Figure A) A mold 2 made of an electroforming mold having a cavity 2a in the shape of a product is heated to a predetermined temperature by a heating device 3. The heating temperature varies depending on the materials of the skin material and decorative body, which will be described later, but is preferably around 80°C.

(B) Process of setting the decorative body on the cavity surface of the mold (Figure B) Decorative body 4 or characters, patterns, etc. formed by printing letters, patterns, etc. on a transparent or colored flat thermoplastic synthetic resin sheet The decorative body 4 of
Set it in a predetermined position on the cavity surface of the mold 2. The decorative body 4 set on the cavity surface is
It is softened by the heat of the mold 2 and comes into close contact with the cavity surface. In order to ensure this close contact, it is preferable to press the decorative body 4 against the cavity surface using a holding jig such as a rod, and furthermore, using a fixture (not shown) that engages with the mold 2.
The decorative body 4 may be pressed and fixed to the cavity surface at all times. Note that the thermoplastic synthetic resin constituting the decorative body 4 is generally vinyl chloride resin, polypropylene, or the like. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the decorative body, and 4a indicates a printing section. The thickness of the decorative material 4 varies depending on the thickness of the skin material, but is usually
Selected in the range of 0.1 to 1.0 mm.

(c) Step of charging thermoplastic synthetic resin powder (Figure C) Thermoplastic synthetic resin powder 5a is charged into the cavity of the mold 2 in which the decorative body 4 is set. The thermoplastic synthetic resin powder 5a is preferably one that has good compatibility with the resin constituting the decorative body 4. For example, when the decorative body is made of vinyl chloride resin, it is preferable to use a soft vinyl chloride resin powder. Optimal. Note that the thermoplastic synthetic resin powder 5a contains additives such as a plasticizer and a coloring material as appropriate.

(d) Process of melting the thermoplastic synthetic resin powder (Figure d) The mold 2 is heated by the heating device 6, the temperature of the mold 2 is further increased, and the thermoplastic synthetic resin powder located around the cavity surface is melted. death,
A thermoplastic synthetic resin layer 5 is formed on the cavity surface. At this time, the thermoplastic synthetic resin layer 5 and the decorative body 4
The two are fused together and become one. The heating temperature of the mold is approximately 200°C when using vinyl chloride resin powder.

(E) The process of cooling the mold and demolding the product (Figure E) Cool the mold to a predetermined temperature, usually around 60℃,
After fixing the thermoplastic synthetic resin layer 5 into the cavity shape, the skin material 7 as a product is demolded.
Incidentally, the excess thermoplastic synthetic resin powder is discharged from the mold in this step or the step (d) above.

Depending on the application, the skin material 7 manufactured in this way may require a cushion material on the inside. Preferably, the raw material is injected into the inner surface of the skin material and the cushion material is foam-molded. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a main part of a product in which the skin material 7 and the cushion material 8 are integrated.

(Effects of the Invention) The present invention is characterized in that thermoplastic synthetic resin powder is poured into the cavity of a mold in which a decorative body expressing characters, patterns, etc. is set on the cavity surface, and the powder is applied to the cavity surface by heating the mold. A thermoplastic synthetic resin layer is formed, and after cooling, the skin material in which the decorative body and the thermoplastic synthetic resin layer are integrated is removed from the mold.

Therefore, the present invention has the effect that decorations such as letters and patterns can be applied at the same time as the skin material is manufactured, thereby facilitating manufacturing. Furthermore, in conventional printing, characters, patterns, etc. are printed on the surface of a thermoplastic synthetic resin seal after it is molded into the shape of the skin material, so the printed surface is not necessarily flat, but curved or uneven. In many cases, letters, etc., were easily smeared, but the present invention is capable of printing letters, patterns, etc. on a flat thermoplastic synthetic resin sheet and making it into a decorative object. Since the printing surface is flat, no bleeding occurs during printing, and complex characters, patterns, etc. can be clearly applied.
As a result, there is no restriction on the size of characters, etc., and the degree of freedom in terms of design is increased.
In addition, by making the thermoplastic synthetic resin sheet constituting the decorative body transparent or the same color as the thermoplastic synthetic resin layer formed from thermoplastic synthetic resin powder, the boundary between the decorative body and the thermoplastic synthetic resin layer is made inconspicuous. It can also be made to have an excellent appearance.

In addition, in the case of using paste, which is commonly used in the past, instead of thermoplastic synthetic resin powder in the present invention, the paste may penetrate between the decorative body and the cavity surface of the mold, making it impossible to mold a good skin material. Therefore, the present invention is a novel thing that could not be imagined from the prior art.

As described above, the present invention is a novel manufacturing method that can rationally obtain a skin material having complex and clear characters, patterns, etc.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a skin material used as a crush pad, and FIGS. 2 to 4 relate to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view showing the manufacturing process, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a decorative body, and FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a main part of a product using a skin material manufactured according to the present invention. 2a... Cavity, 2... Molding mold, 3... Heating device, 4... Decorative body, 4a... Printing section, 5a...
...Thermoplastic synthetic resin powder, 5...Thermoplastic synthetic resin layer, 6...Heating device, 7...Skin material.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. (a) A step of heating a mold having a cavity to a predetermined temperature, (b) A step of setting a decorative body expressing characters, patterns, etc. on the cavity surface of the mold, (c) Heat The process consists of the following steps: (d) further increasing the temperature of the mold to melt the powder; (e) cooling the mold and demolding the product. A method for manufacturing a skin material having decorative parts such as letters and patterns.